I stumbled across a little social experiment on Facebook the other day. The caption was: “Help me choose the most suitable tiles.” See image below. Naturally, I clicked in - partly curious, partly wanting my preferred tile validated (No. 1). But here’s what stopped me: out of 65 comments, there was no clear loser. Every tile had its fans. Some people were bold and decisive. Others were completely unsure. A few went totally off-script: “None of them—change the wall colour.”

I’m seeing a lot of commentary across business and government news about low productivity, financial strain, cost overruns and the real risk of slipping living standards in Australia. I’ve been thinking about the leadership implications — and why coaching and training for increased productivity has become essential. If productivity is about creating more value without more hours, more people, or more cost, then yes — Australia has a problem.